Most street photographers I’ve seen in action simply blend in with the backdrop. They’re wallflowers. You probably don’t even know they’re out there.
Bruce Gilden is not a wallflower. He’s a glass of ice water thrown in your face while you’re sleeping. And that’s precisely his point, we’re all sleeping…and Bruce Gilden is our wake-up call.
Check out this video:
The new age of street photography
Before you go labeling this guy as a paparazzi or photo mugger, hear me out. Rewind the video to about 1:15 and listen to Bruce’s commentary.
What I see is, and the viewer should see is…that a lot of the people walking the city are like, lost in thought.
And therein lies his genius. Think about it. You’re schlepping along the streets of New York City, just another mindless drone on your way to work and then all of a sudden, BLAM! Some guy jumps out and blasts you in the face with a camera flash. Back to reality.
One of the goals of street photography is to capture the human condition. When we see someone with a camera, our mood changes. Most people slip into either model or retreat mode. They’re either going to pose for the camera or try to avoid it.
Bruce Gilden doesn’t give you that option.
What’s more is, he takes total control of the situation out of the equation. Notice how he holds his camera? He’s not even looking through the viewfinder to compose his shots. In a sense, he’s using chaos to create order. It’s brilliant.
Still not convinced?
No? Okay, I’ll give you that. It’s a little artsy-fartsy. And no, Bruce Gilden doesn’t just scare little old ladies on the streets of New York. He has also photographed the Yakuza (Japanese mob), biker gangs, street thugs, and prostitutes.
Published books include Haiti, Coney Island, Go, After the Off, and A Beautiful Catastrophe.
Why Bruce Gilden is an Inspiration
I have a (at this point, well-known) aversion to photographing people on the street. I myself am a very private person, and though photographers are well within their legal rights to take pictures of people in public places, there are moral issues at work.
Gilden brings up a good point. He notes that all of his subjects, while initially startled, simply go about their business. Maybe I just need a bucket hat and photographer’s vest. They must be what give him his superpowers.
The thing about Gilden’s work that inspires me the most is the closeness of his shots. A lot of street photographers use long zoom lenses or photograph people buying trinkets from a street dealer. Gilden is out there mixing it up elbow to elbow, and his shots really are about the people, not what they’re doing.
